To serve people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, by providing shelter and housing and by fostering their personal growth and independence.

At A Glance

Year of Incorporation1985

Organization's type of tax exempt statusPublic Supported Charity

Organization received a competitive grant from the community foundation in the past five yearsYes

Leadership

CEO/Executive Director Alison Cunningham

Board ChairDr. Jeanne Steiner

Board Chair Company AffiliationCT Mental Health Center

Financial Summary

Projected Revenue$11,895,503.00

Projected Expenses$11,766,672.00

Statements

MissionTo serve people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, by providing shelter and housing and by fostering their personal growth and independence.

Background

Columbus House opened its doors in 1982 to serve people who are homeless by providing "2 hots and a cot" in an emergency shelter with a capacity of 34 single adults. Throughout its history, Columbus House has been instrumental in developing programs to serve people who are homeless through an array of housing and services. The agency currently supports 4 shelters, 1 transitional program, a Recovery House, and an array of permanent supportive housing options for people who are homeless. Intensive case management services are available throughout all programs.

Beginning with the Outreach and Engagement Team, led by Columbus House staff, case management services are provided for people living on the streets, in abandoned buildings, in encampments in and around the City. Columbus House also has a strong reentry program, in collaboration with area agencies, creating wrap-around services that help people coming out of prison to find employment and housing. Several programs focus solely on the issues facing women who are homeless, including trauma and abuse, with a goal toward independence and recovery. Individual case management is available for all clients in the shelter, and focuses on housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment, medical care, employment and life skills development.

Columbus House is well known for its shelter activity, but the organization provides support services for people living in permanent housing. Cedar Hill, Legion Woods, Whalley Terrace and Sojourner's Place collectively house 76 clients, 1/2 of whom have been chronically homeless. In addition, we have secured subsidies through various programs for over 150 people living in scattered site apartments, for whom we also provide case management services.

Columbus House relies on volunteers to help us do the work we do. Each night, a group from the faith community, a civic or school group, or a family will be in the kitchen cooking and serving dinner for 100 clients. Over 1000 volunteers participate in Abraham's Tent, where congregations provide shelter for 12 homeless men for a week at a time during the coldest winter months. These tremendous act of generosity saves the agency countless staff time as well as money. Other volunteers help with fundraising events, general building maintenance, administrative support and board activity. Over 300 volunteers come through the agency each year.

Impact

An End to Veteran Homelessness: In 2015/2016, Columbus House and partners across the state achieved a major milestone in establishing the mechanisms and resources to ensure that any Veteran who slips into homelessness can be housed within 30 days (or less). This is known as “functional zero.”

Wallingford Emergency Shelter: In July 2016, Columbus House acquired and assumed operations of the homeless shelter in Wallingford. The program provides year-round shelter for families with children and a seasonal shelter for single adults.

Data and Quality: Columbus House has invested heavily in quality assurance and data management in recent years because we believe that in order to improve our services, we must understand our clients and the impact of our work. In the spring of 2016, our in-house Data Scientist won a competitive award for the collection and demonstration of impact through graphic representation. As part of our commitment to providing the best services, Columbus House hired a Chief Quality Assurance and Improvement Officer in 2016. Primary among her duties is to help Columbus House attain CARF (Commision on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) accreditation by the end of the year.

Strategic Planning: In 2016, Columbus House leadership completed a comprehensive, three year Strategic Plan.The overarching goal is to continue to be a “Housing First” organization, serving those who are homeless while re-positioning the organization to serve a changing demographic; intensifying efforts to reduce recidivism by employing a “Work First” philosophy; and assisting individuals to remain housed through high-quality person-centered case management services.

Needs

Because of our diverse funding stream in federal, state and local government contracts, multiple program & financial reports are required. We have also experienced a shift from grant funding to fee for service funding in some of the government contracts. This puts a substantial strain on program and Finance Department staff, and will require an increase in administrative functions and costs to accurately manage.

Columbus House owns 6 properties in New Haven, and all are aging, presenting us with significant capital needs.

Because of the growth of the agency, we will be looking for new office space for administrative staff which is currently housed in the main shelter building on Ella Grasso Boulevard. This will have a dramatic impact on the use of that main building, adding new housing options for people who are homeless.

General operating support is essential to sustain the core functions of shelter and services for people who are homeless.

CEO Statement

While Columbus House is known across Greater New Haven for being a homeless shelter, we have grown well beyond that to now offer a continuum of services, from emergency shelter to permanent housing. We can look beyond the immediate crisis of homelessness toward solutions that offer people a brighter future.

This year, the Governor’s office announced that as a state, CT has ended chronic Veteran homelessness and homelessness among all Veterans. That does not mean that there will never be another homeless Veteran. It means that the system of care can move a Veteran who is homeless out of the emergency system quickly into more stable housing. Columbus House has actively participated in regional and state committees to design policies and practices to accomplish these goals.

The goal ahead is to end chronic homelessness for all individuals and families. With strong support from all levels of government, there is new funding for innovative programs and housing that will bring us closer to achievement. Columbus House works closely with other agencies in the state to reach this audacious goal.

A major component in the solution to homelessness is the availability of safe, affordable housing, and for some, that housing needs to be accompanied with supportive services. Columbus House has been providing permanent supportive housing since 1998, and we know that it works. With case management support, people stay housed and realize their own goals of maintaining their recovery, returning to work, reuniting with family and becoming independent. To date, we provide housing and supports for close to 400 individuals and families across the state.

Another key element of solving the crisis of homelessness is employment and income support. For many, unemployment or underemployment led them to the shelter. We have a growing employment program that has been successful in opening doors to employment for many clients. We also SOAR specialists on staff who assist clients in obtaining much needed SSI or SSDI through an application process designed for people who are homeless. Between the employment staff and our SOAR staff, we have assisted hundreds of clients to obtain an income that will support their independence.

There is more work to be done and it is work that we cannot do alone. It is our constant desire to work with others both in New Haven and across the State who are working toward the goal of ending homelessness.

Board Chair Statement

The Board of Directors of Columbus House includes 16 members who are dedicated to this agency and to the mission of serving people who are homeless. Members represent faith communities, healthcare, private industry, education and small businesses, meeting monthly as a full board, and in committees regularly. The talent and expertise that board members bring to the organization contribute to sound oversight and thoughtful direction of Columbus House. Guided by the Strategic Plan and in partnership with the staff leadership, the Board actively participates in fund development, governance, housing development and agency expansion.

I currently serve as the Board President and find that this work fits well with both my professional and personal commitments to solving issues of homelessness. I am passionate about the work of Columbus House on a local level and its overriding mission to end homelessness on a statewide level. The leadership and staff are tireless advocates for policies and initiatives that address this societal issue at its root causes, while working with individuals to deliver person centered services that will meet the specific needs of those in our community who are most vulnerable.

Columbus House has grown from providing a simple shelter bed in its early years to now serving 2500 people annually through services that span from street outreach to permanent housing. Our services extend from New Haven to New Britain, out to Waterbury and into New London. Recently, we acquired the Wallingford Emergency Shelter program where we'll be offering shelter for both families and single adults. In Middletown, we offer family shelter, street outreach, permanent supportive housing and Rapid Rehousing. The City is also the hub for our state-wide Support Services for Veteran Families, serving over 500 veteran families each year with housing, employment and case management services.

Columbus House has been and remains part of the growing commitment across the state to end homelessness for particular populations. I was proud that we were part of the effort to end homelessness for veterans. Not that there will never be another veteran who is homeless but there have been extensive changes made to the system of care to the extent that a person’s experience of homelessness will be brief as we move people into appropriate housing more efficiently than in the past. We are now on the path to end chronic homelessness by the end of 2016, a monumental task in CT.

Challenges? Of course. We have suffered through the cuts to state budgets this past session and expect more to come. Balancing a reduced budget while still providing the same level of services puts pressure on all of our staff. But we stay committed to doing the best we can with the government funding and philanthropic support that we do have. As always, we are grateful for our donors and friends who join us in that commitment.

Columbus House serves people from across Connecticut, in New Haven, Middlesex, New London and Hartford Counties. In 2011 we assumed operations of the Middlesex Family Shelter and related services in the Middletown area, and in July 2016 assumed operations of the Wallingford Emergency Shelter and Family Shelter. With our Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, we serve Veterans in New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties and also serve supportive housing clients in New Britain and Hartford.

CEO/Executive Director/Board CommentsOver the past 35 years, Columbus House has found ways to bring solutions to the issues of homelessness for the City of New Haven and its immediate surrounding towns. First through the shelter, then street outreach, transitional housing and now with an emphasis on permanent supportive housing, this agency has been on the front lines of the battle against this crisis. The staff of this organization are the ones who are there day in and day out, managing the shelter and its myriad challenges, negotiating with landlords to house someone who is homeless and not such a likely tenant, being outside in the freezing cold to look for people who would die if we did not get them inside for the night. Their commitment to helping others in the most direct way is what makes this organization the success that it has become.

Our Boulevard shelter provides shelter for over 80 women and men, 365 nights a year, serving over 78,000 meals annually. We have a 30-bed emergency shelter for both men and women and a six-month length of stay program that can accommodate up to 39 individuals with beds reserved for Veterans and people living with HIV. Case management services include referrals to mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, employment training programs, health services, and housing.

The Overflow Shelter for men is generally filled to its 75-bed capacity and beyond. This seasonal shelter serves clients with food, clothing, showers, personal care items, and case management services. In addition, the Abraham's Tent program provides shelter, meals and social times for 12 individuals during the winter months.

Our Recovery House provides safe, temporary shelter for 17 men in early stages of drug and/or alcohol recovery. At Recovery House, needs are accessed, treatment plans are established and referrals are made to appropriate in-patient facilities.

The Middlesex Family Services Emergency Shelter in Middletown has the capacity to serve seven families at any given time. Provides safe and stable housing, case management services, and assistance in obtaining permanent housing.

The Wallingford Emergency Shelter provides shelter and meals for individuals and up to four families with children.

Our short term goals for the emergency shelters, Overflow Shelter, and Length of Stay (LOS) programs are to provide a safe environment where homeless adults and families will have access to shelter, food and clothing along with other basic necessities. Ultimately we would like to provide and have clients take advantage of a coordinated effort to access vital services through case management.

Our long-term goals for those coming through the shelters are to ensure that they re-establish and/or increase their income, apply for and receive entitlements, receive adequate health care benefits, seek and secure employment, and reunite with family where appropriate. Our ultimate goal is to help secure appropriate housing either in a transitional, supportive or independent setting. Approximately 50% of homeless adults who access one or more of the shelter programs go on to some form of housing.

Every client who walks through the door of any Columbus House program must undergo a thorough intake process, including completion of a detailed intake/admissions form. We utilize the Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) that allows us to collect data from all clients and enables us to analyze program outcomes. Our funders require monthly, quarterly, and annual outcome reports, and many also require an annual on-site audit. Columbus House has an internal quality assurance department that monitors compliance with all contracts. We also conduct annual client satisfaction surveys. The problems that we encounter that impede client progress include lack of income and lack of an adequate supply of affordable housing.

Kevin is currently in recovery and committed to his sobriety. He was in our Length of Stay Program for 6 weeks and received comprehensive case management services. He currently maintains a full time job and is saving money for his own housing (apartment).

The primary goal is to facilitate the successful transition of homeless adults into stable and affordable permanent housing while providing them with the services needed to keep them housed and independent.

Harkness House provides support to 14 male homeless Veterans. The program’s goals are to provide stable housing for Veterans, increase access and connection to services, and expand social and employment skills.

On the Move provides housing for 13 adults for up to a year while they increase life skills to help them to live more independently. This program offers private rooms, meals, and case management.

Our short term goals for Transitional Housing are similar to that of our Shelter programs. We strive to provide a safe environment where homeless adults and families will have access to shelter along with other basic necessities. Transitional programs include those in early stages of alcohol/drug abuse recovery. Transitional housing clients will have access to a comprehensive case management plan that includes access to a wide variety of support services among collaborative agencies throughout the region. Our ultimate goal is to move clients out of Transitional Housing and into a permanent housing arrangement. 75% of Transitional Housing clients are successfully discharged to some form of permanent housing.

Ideally, Transitional Housing acts as a stepping stone to permanent housing. Our case managers help clients reunite with family members, regain custody of children in State custody, re-establish income and entitlements, help with employment, and coordination of appropriate medical care. It also provides a safe, sober place to stay while in early stages of recovery.

We utilize the Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) that allows us to collect data from all clients and enables us to analyze program outcomes. Our funders require monthly, quarterly and annual outcome reports and many also require an annual on-site audit. Columbus House has an internal quality assurance department that monitors compliance with all contracts. We also conduct annual client satisfaction surveys. The problems that we encounter that impede client progress include lack of income and lack of an adequate supply of affordable housing.

Because of our coordinated efforts with the Veterans Administration (VA), more people are off of the streets and out of the shelters. They are utilizing transitional housing while waiting for permanent supportive housing (affordable housing with supports.)

Stable housing leads to an increased quality of life while decreasing the number of adults who return to homeless shelters. Some are able to eventually live without support services. They remain in their apartment, but the support services can then be utilized by others in need.

Our success is measured by the number of permanent supportive clients who remain in their apartments and don’t go back to homelessness. Of the 170 clients living in our supportive housing programs, over 90% have remained housed.

A combination of bad luck and bad choices led Bruce to homelessness. He tried heroin and cocaine when he was 22 and struggled with drugs ever since. He was in and out of prison.

Bruce had reached a turning point in his life. He realized he couldn’t go on living like this. He entered a recovery program for six months and was then referred to Columbus House.

“Columbus House staff told me what I would have to do and where I would have to go in order to start the process of getting my life back together,” he said.

Bruce stayed in shelters for nearly a year as he worked to put his life back together. He was referred to Cedar Hill, one of our permanent supportive housing facilities, where he has lived in his own apartment for three years.

Because of his leadership and dedication to his community, Bruce was awarded the 2010 Janice Elliot Supportive Housing Award by Reaching Home, a campaign to end long-term homelessness through supportive housing.

Outreach Services:Pathways to Independence project works to ensure that people who are chronically homeless have access to mainstream services and recovery support that will assist them in their ability to secure and maintain permanent housing.

The Outreach & Engagement team of case managers goes out into the community to engage men and women with severe mental illness and substance abuse issues who are living unsheltered. The program serves over 200 clients annually.

Our Peer Support Educators and Specialists are individuals who are in recovery themselves, and serve as a valuable resource to our clients who are working toward recovery and independence.

Our Road to Recovery program provides transportation to eligible clients to and from approved treatment appointments throughout the state.

We utilize the Homeless management information systems (HMIS) that allows us to collect data from all clients and enables us to analyze program outcomes. Our funders require monthly, quarterly and annual outcome reports and many also require an annual on-site audit. Columbus House has an internal quality assurance department that monitors compliance with all contracts.. We also conduct annual client satisfaction surveys. The problems that we encounter that impede client progress include lack of income and lack of an adequate supply of affordable housing.

Scott was living on the streets for 4 years. Because of his substance abuse issues, he refused any assistance and would not come to the shelter. One of our Outreach Case Managers was ultimately able to convince Scott to come in. They spoke and over time a bond was established. Because of this engagement, he received help in applying for benefits and healthcare which allowed him to receive the appropriate addictions support. He took part in Abraham’s Tent and is now living in his own apartment.

Program Comments

CEO CommentsGrowth brings both opportunities and challenges, and balancing those to ensure that the agency survives is the work of the senior directors. We regularly seek new opportunities that will offer the clients access to services and housing so that they can move on toward independence and recovery. Even as we do that, we are mindful of the burden that each new program places on the infrastructure of Columbus House, and are seeking ways to ensure that growth does not overwhelm our capacity to continue to provide appropriate administrative support. New programs are exciting only if we can manage them well.

Capacity building to keep up with expanding programs is not always immediate, especially with limited access to funding for administrative support.

CEO/Executive Director

Alison Cunningham

Term StartJuly 1998

Emailacunningham@columbushouse.org

Experience

Alison Cunningham has been with Columbus House in 2 roles. In the mid-1980’s, she was the Program Director when the entire program of the agency was the emergency shelter. After a few years in that role, she left for other opportunities but stayed engaged with the agency and was appointed to the Board for a few years in the early 90s.

In 1998, Alison returned to the agency as its Executive Director. She has managed the growth of this organization from a $1.5 million budget to now $12 million budget, with over 150 staff and shelter/housing for over 400 people each night and services for hundreds more.

Alison has served on various boards and committees, both local and statewide: CT Coalition to End Homelessness – current member and past Board Chair; Reaching Home Steering Committee of the Partnership for Strong Communities, current member; Opening Doors Greater New Haven, past co-chair; South Central Behavioral Health Network, former board member. She is a relentless advocate for ending homelessness.

Columbus House has formal collaborations for several current programs, in which multiple organizations are funded: lead agency on the Outreach and Engagement Team with local partners; ( The Connection, Hill Health Center, Marrakech).

Starting Over - Reentry Program with APT and Easter Seals/Goodwill Industries;

Pathways to Independence- 3 year SAMSHA funded program with CMHC, Hill Health Center;

There are 6 senior level chief officers of Columbus House who provide leadership and inspiration for this organization, who work long and hard hours to keep it functioning at its best. It is this group that makes it possible for us to reach beyond what we thought we could do, to stretch to the next step, to grab that new opportunity, always aware of the mission statement that was written in 1982 and holds true today. It is a team that can face the challenges of program growth, personnel demands and changes, funding cuts and leaking roofs with a resolve to find a way to improve.

Our opportunity today is to examine the infrastructure to determine if we have the appropriate model in place to manage Columbus House and to weather the changes always in front of us. We are being pushed constantly to consider mergers, strategic alliances, and shared services. Perhaps in any one of those models is a better way of doing business. We have explored mergers in the past with a leading organization in New Haven, and in the end, we both turned down the opportunity. We have absorbed smaller agencies, expanding our reach into new services in new communities. We are open to doing business the best possible way to get the most out of our funding and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Columbus House has historically had a very active board, with members who are committed to addressing the issues of homelessness. They have grown just as the agency has grown to a more sophisticated level of governance that examines the big picture of the agency and the progress toward ending homelessness. Committees include the executive committee, finance and audit committees, housing committee, development committee and governance committee.

Every year we worry that local, state and federal budget cuts will have deleterious effects on the bottom line of the financials of Columbus House. This year has been particularly challenging due to the economic conditions in the State. Despite our best advocacy efforts, we felt the impact of state budget cuts. Our prison reentry program, funded by the state Dept of Corrections, was completely eliminated, resulting in loss of services to 100 people coming back to the community after serving their time. Eight staff across 3 agencies in this collaborative program were handed lay-off notices. In addition, Columbus House was handed a 5.75% cut to our services funded through the Dept of Housing, effecting multiple programs. We anticipate this year, FY17, to be no different, and are braced for additional cuts.

Private fundraising has to make up the gap, and in these difficult economic times, there is no certainty that our efforts to increase those fundraising dollars will be successful. We have a strong track record, but balancing our budget from year to year is getting increasingly difficult. Salaries alone are over $3 million in this year’s budget and the cost of benefits continues to skyrocket. This, coupled with operating costs, make for a challenging financial balancing act. Columbus House must constantly seek to provide superior financial management through staff and board oversight to deal with these challenges.

Despite this, we continue to be innovative and hopeful, bringing in new programs that provide extraordinary care for people experiencing homelessness. One recent example is the Medical Respite program, which provides recuperative care for people leaving the hospital. With a private room in the shelter, regular visiting nursing services and intensive case management, this program has proven to enhance the health and overall quality of life for people, has proven to reduce recidivism rates to both emergency department and in-patient hospitalization, and has proven to save money for the state in Medicaid reimbursements. We are working with state advocates and partners in other regions to expand Respite programs in other urban centers.

Columbus House recently acquired the assets of the Wallingford Emergency Shelter and will now provide program oversight to those shelters, including a family program and one for single adults. This program will be folded into the Middlesex County programs, where we also have a family shelter, street outreach, Support Services for Veteran Families, permanent supportive housing and Rapid Re-Housing programs.

Foundation Staff Comments

This profile, including the financial summaries prepared and submitted by the organization based on its own independent and/or internal audit processes and regulatory submissions, has been read by the Foundation. Financial information is inputted by Foundation staff directly from the organization’s IRS Form 990, audited financial statements or other financial documents approved by the nonprofit’s board. The Foundation has not audited the organization’s financial statements or tax filings, and makes no representations or warranties thereon. The Community Foundation is continuing to receive information submitted by the organization and may periodically update the organization’s profile to reflect the most current financial and other information available. The organization has completed the fields required by The Community Foundation and updated their profile in the last year. To see if the organization has received a competitive grant from The Community Foundation in the last five years, please go to the General Information Tab of the profile.

Related Information

A strong community not only meets its members’ basic needs but also works to create long-term solutions to their problems. Provide people with affordable housing, enough to eat and access to affordable health care and you enable them to envision a better future for themselves.